The present invention relates to strap assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to strap assembly for supporting one or more devices mountable on a patient, such as a drainage reservoir, electronic monitoring system, or other medical device. Furthermore the strap assembly of the present invention are designed to alleviate some of the discomfort in wearing such an assembly by utilizing a lightweight material that does not irritate the skin, but still possesses durable characteristics.
The prior art shows that a number of garments, harnesses and belts have been designed to support drainage reservoirs and similar type devices upon a patient""s body. The utilization of support assemblies, such as garments, harnesses and belts, provide the patient with a means for positioning a device, such as drainage reservoir, lightweight tools or other similar devices, in an appropriate location and securing it there.
A supporting assembly for devices like a drainage reservoir is especially necessary in a post surgical period. For a period of time after a surgical procedure is performed on a patient, a drainage reservoir is required to be worn by a patient in order to drain away body fluids from the surgical site. In particular, one end of a drainage tube is positioned in the area of the surgical site while the other end is positioned in fluid communication with a drainage reservoir. Thus, excess fluids generated by the body at the surgical site as a result of the trauma of the surgical procedure is removed from the body.
As previously mentioned, various devices and methods have been used to support a drainage reservoir and are designed to be worn by a patient. For example, patients have used bulky garments or harnesses or single strap belts to support a drainage reservoir. Examples of garments or harnesses are disclosed in LaBove, U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,864, issued May, 9, 1978, Pavelka, U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,508, issued on Apr. 15, 1986, and Kagan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,698, issued on May 26, 1998. Each of these inventions provided support assemblies for drainage reservoirs, but were considerably bulky and restrictive to the wearer. Furthermore, the undesirability of these support assemblies becomes compounded when two or more drainage reservoirs are required to be worn by a patient.
An example of a belt support assembly is demonstrated in Kiel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,344, issued on Feb. 10, 1998. The belt disclosed in Kiel includes a single elastic strap that is secured around a patient""s body. As the belt is secured to the patient""s body it is threaded through a support loop attached to the drainage reservoir. While the support assembly disclosed by Kiel is lightweight and is not bulky it fails to sufficiently support the drainage reservoir. Slippage downward or around the body of the patient and away from the intended location is common with such belt support assemblies.
Furthermore, the use of belts as support assemblies, have been shown in the prior art to have additional disadvantages. One disadvantage is that most belts are not designed to allow the belt to be quickly and conveniently adjusted to the size of the patient. Moreover, some of these belts have been made of a material such as leather, which is inflexible, bulky, uncomfortable to a patient during use, and less able to withstand multiple washings in a washing machine.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus for supporting mountable devices, such as a drainage reservoir, which may be worn by the patient and is easy and convenient to use. What is further needed is an apparatus for supporting a mountable device, which is comfortable to wear. Additionally, what is needed is an apparatus for supporting a mountable device, such as a drainage reservoir, at a location adjacent to a patient""s body, which eliminates the risk of injury and pain due to inadvertent movement of the apparatus that may dislodge the drainage reservoir and the drainage tubes adjoined to the drainage reservoir. Finally, a strap assembly is needed which can accommodate multiple mountable devices, such as drainage reservoirs, other medical devices, lightweight tools, sporting goods equipment, such as flies for fly fishing, etc.
A characteristic desired of a support assembly is that such an assembly may be configured to adequately secure a device mountable on a patient, such as a drainage reservoir, electronic monitoring device, lightweight tool or any other similar device, and in doing so also restricts movement of the device on a patient""s body. A problem that exists with many secure support assemblies that possess these features is that they generally are bulky in appearance and lack comfort when worn by an individual. The strap assemblies of the present invention are intended to support one or more mountable devices, such as drainage reservoirs. Such mountable devices may be positioned and secured on the assembly to provide proper securement of the device, as well as, comfort for the wearer.
One embodiment of a strap assembly of the present invention comprises a waist strap, a shoulder strap device and one or more front straps. The waist strap is an elongated strip of fabric, which includes a first end and a second end. The waist strap extends around a patient""s midsection and overlappingly secures to itself at the two ends. The waist strap ends normally include a loop material attached to the first end and a hook material attached to the second end.
Generally, the shoulder strap device includes, but is not limited to, a number of varying harnessing embodiments. A first embodiment is a halter configuration. The halter configuration is a single strap, which includes a loop and hook fastener or other attachment device, such as snaps, buttons, hook and pile devices or other similar fastening means, at each end.
In one embodiment of the present invention the halter strap end comprises a loop end. When the halter strap end includes a loop end, the waist strap is threaded through the two halter strap loop ends. A person wearing the support assembly would fasten the waist strap around the wearer""s midsection and slip the attached halter strap over the head to a resting place upon the wearer""s shoulders. It should be noted that the halter strap ends would normally be located on the front side of the wearer""s midsection.
A second embodiment of the shoulder strap device is a suspender configuration. A general suspender configuration would generally include two straps, which have loops or attachment devices at each end. When loops are utilized as an attachment device, the waist strap may be threaded through the suspender strap loop ends. A person wearing the support assembly may fasten the waist strap around the wearer""s midsection and pull the suspender straps over the shoulders so that each strap rests upon a different shoulder. The suspender straps may be crossed at the back of the wearer for additional support.
Finally, the segments of the halter strap or two suspender straps, which extend down the front of the wearer from the shoulders to the waist strap, are joined by one or more front straps. In one embodiment of the present invention, the front straps may comprise a strip of fabric with attachment devices on both ends for adjoining the front straps to the halter strap or suspender straps, or for releasable attachment to itself. Additionally, the front straps may be threaded through loops on the halter strap or suspender straps and secured to itself by loop material and hook material attached to opposite front strap ends.
The front straps are one of the structures generally utilized to secure the drainage reservoir or other mountable devices to the entire assembly and also further stabilizes the complete strap assembly system. By utilizing the front straps as a securing means for the mountable devices, such as drainage reservoirs, the mountable devices are better stabilized and can be located in more than one position on the front torso of the wearer. Furthermore, since the front straps give the complete assembly the ability to allow the mountable device, such as a drainage reservoir, to be located in more than one position, the strap assembly is also equipped for supporting multiple mountable devices.
Therefore, it is one object of the present invention to provide a new and useful assembly for supporting mountable devices, such as a drainage reservoir, which provides a more secure attachment to the wearer""s body. The additional stability protects the wearer from injury or discomfort by further restricting the movement of the drainage reservoir.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved assembly for supporting mountable devices, such as a drainage reservoir, which is lightweight and not bulky.
Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a strap assembly for supporting a mountable device, such as a drainage reservoir at a position adjacent to a patient""s body, which may be more comfortable to a user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and useful strap assembly that can support multiple mountable devices, such as drainage reservoirs or support a mountable device in multiple positions on the front or back of the patient""s or wearer""s torso.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a strap assembly for supporting a mountable device, such as a drainage reservoir, which is easier to use.
It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide a strap assembly for supporting a mountable device, such as a drainage reservoir, which allows a patient to be more independent.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a strap assembly for supporting a mountable device, such as a drainage reservoir, which may be worn easily with a patient""s clothing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a strap assembly for supporting a mountable device, such as a drainage reservoir, which can be quickly and conveniently secured to and released from a patient""s body.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings.